He did BUT he first came up and hit the Marine. Then he went back to his car and got the gun. Don’t get it, the Marine should have had his punk-ass down on the floor before the first blow!
Part of the new culture in the military, including the Marine Corps is a low tolerance for any “bad behavior.” If you have a couple of beers at dinner, walk out of the restaurant, trip over the curb and break you ankle it is “an alcohol related incident” and not good for your career. Gone are the days of the judge saying “go to jail or join the Marine Corps.” As a side note, one of my roommates in college was such a Marine. He got caught stealing from his employer and spent 4 years in the Corps. Changed his life. But, I digress.
So I speculate: He may have in fact told the punk that he would kick his ass, but really didn’t want to get into a fight. The punk probably summed up the situation and realized that he was outmatched, so he did what punks do.
Sad on several levels. We lose a Marine, and now have to support a punk in prison.